


a little help never hurt

by okaethen



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Cute Kids, Domestic Fluff, Kun is a nanny, M/M, Superman AU, johnny is a dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 09:37:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16092965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okaethen/pseuds/okaethen
Summary: Johnny wished someone had told him beforehand how hard it was to juggle being a single father and having a job. Well two jobs. Writing journal articles and saving the world.Sure, he had an idea that it wouldn't be the most accommodating circumstance in the world, but hey, he's Superman, how bad could it be?





	a little help never hurt

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this at two am for @singledadjohnny and @nctouches on twitter, your welcome

Johnny wished someone had told him beforehand how hard it was to juggle being a single father and having a job. Well two jobs. Writing journal articles and saving the world.

Sure, he had an idea that it wouldn't be the most accommodating circumstance in the world, but hey, he's Superman, how bad could it be?

Evidently, very hard, if by the fact that he was on the phone with his daughter while he was setting a man he had just rescued from a fire down on the concrete was anything to go by.

“I'm sorry, Papa’s gonna be a little late.” He could  _ hear  _ her pouting from the other side of the line. 

“But papa you promised!” she whined. He could also hear his son shuffling around in the background. 

“I know, I know sweet pea, but Papa’s still a little bit busy at work,” he replied in between small huffs of frozen breath as he started to put out the fire, having finished rescuing the residents of the apartment building. “Now please be a good girl for Kun until I get home, okay?” 

How could he forget about Kun? His wonderful nanny that took care of his kids when he was “at work”. Kun had entered their family a little over a year ago when Johnny realized that perhaps he had a little bit too much stacked on his plate. Johnny could not be more thankful for him.

There was movement on the other side of the line and finally, Kun’s honey voice flooded his hearing. “They're always good kids Mr. Seo, don't you worry about us. Good luck at work!” Johnny's heart melted for a second. Kun had a soothing aura about him, always did. Everything about Kun made Johnny feel secure. 

“Thank you so much Kun. I'll pay you extra for the added time,” he added. Kun’s soft laughter echoed through and Johnny knew the other was shaking his head in the way he did when he was about to protest.

“It's really no trouble Mr. Seo–” 

“Papa come home!” his son interrupted. Johnny chuckled gently and zoomed passed the crowd of dumbfounded people, hurrying back to his office back in Neo City. It was getting suspiciously long for a bathroom break…

         “I'll be home in an hour kiddo, I promise,” he concluded, buttoning up his dress shirt. 

“Take your time Mr. Seo, goodbye.”

“Bye Kun.” He clicked the end button and slipped the phone into his pants. While he was on call, he had made it back to SM Times and slid stealthily into the bathroom from which he had escaped from. He had fixed up his outfit and slid on the pair of round wire-rimmed glasses. Johnny looked into the mirror and slicked his brown locks back. He made sure nothing looked out of place and exited the restroom and made his way back to his office. 

“Papa!” His daughter screeched before running towards him and throwing herself into his arms, his son stomping right behind. 

“Sweet pea!” He picked her up easily and twirled her in his arms. She squealed happily when he brought her forehead to his lips. She was his little princess. “Papa missed you.”

“What about me papa?” His son pouted from the floor. Johnny bent down and picked him up as well. He kissed his cheek which earned him a little palm over his face, trying to push him away. “Ewww,” his son whined. Johnny gasped, faking offense.

“Since when did Papa’s kisses become ew?” His son shifted in his arms and Johnny pouted. “I guess only Chaeyoungie will get kisses from now on,” he sighed dramatically. His daughter cheered while Daehyun looked mildly scandalized. 

“No, no! I’m sorry papa!” he cried. Johnny made it a point to turn his head towards his daughter to peck her button nose. The girl giggled lightly and pressed her little hands to the sides of his face to smush his cheeks and laughed louder. Meanwhile his son continued to tug at his collar. “Papa please!” 

Leaning against the wall of the hallway with his arms crossed, Kun laughed at the scene. Johnny kissed Daehyun’s forehead before putting both his kids down. “Now let papa take his coat off kiddos, run along,” he told them. Both nodded and skidded away to their playroom, which was littered a myriad of colored papers. 

Johnny took his shoes and coat off before walking into his house, greeting Kun. “Thank you so much for watching over them for an extra hour. I hope-”

“I told you Mr. Seo, it’s fine. Chaeyoung and Daehyun are so good, it’s a pleasure, really.” Kun laughed sheepishly and waved his hands. Johnny smiled brightly at him.

“I’m happy to hear that. Would you like to stay for a glass of wine?” Johnny offered. There were many times over the year when Johnny tried hinting that he’d like to spend some time one on one with Kun, but it was hard to find a time since the kids still needed to be looked after. 

“You know I can’t turn down a glass of wine,” Kun joked. Johnny laughed easily and wandered down the hallway to his living room where his two kids were coloring with vigor. 

“Of course not. Let me just get the kids into bed.” At the sound of the word “bed” both kids shrilled in harmony. Both Johnny and Kun cringed, no matter how many times they’d herd this chorus of protests. 

“But Papa, I didn’t finish my drawing!” Daehyun huffed, his little face becoming red, but his droopy eyes gave him away.

“You can finish your… flying fish tomorrow Daehyunnie, it’s time for bed now. It’s seven pm, you know the rules,” Johnny reminded him. Behind him, Chaeyoung easily let herself be picked up by Kun and carried to her and her twin’s shared room. Meanwhile Daehyun was making a little fuss.

“Papa, it’s not a flying fish.” Daehyun deadpanned, looking at his father like he couldn’t understand anything. Johnny raised an eyebrow at him.

“Oh yeah? So then what is it?” Daehyun’s eyes glimmered and a grin split over his face. 

“Silly papa, haven’t you ever heard of Superman?” Daehyun explained. Johnny’s eyes widened and his heart squeezed warmly in his chest. His son was drawing him. Well not  _ him  _ him, but Johnny still took it as win. 

“Superman? Wherever did you hear about him?” Johnny pushed. He couldn’t help himself. Daehyun was all too pleased to share.

“Jihoon talks about him all the time! His papa is a policeman that tells him about Superman all the time! He even has pictures of him and he shared them with me at recess today! Superman is the coolest!” he gushed, his voice a little slurred due to his sleepiness.

“I bet that Superman thinks that kids who listen to their papas are the coolest.” Johnny picked up Daehyun gently. The boy didn’t protest this time.

“Maybe…” Daehyun finally complied and collapsed against Johnny’s chest. Johnny rubbed his back soothingly and walked down the hallway to his room. He stopped outside the door when he heard Kun’s sweet voice flowing. He was singing a lullaby in a language he didn’t understand. Chinese, probably. 

Johnny always loved listening to Kun’s voice. It wasn’t the first time they had put the kids to bed together. Every time, Kun hummed a little lullaby for them with Johnny listening from the doorway. It was awfully domestic, but Johnny couldn’t complain. 

Finally, Daehyun squirmed in his arms and Johnny was forced to go in. He set him down on his own bed, Kun's song coming to a close. Chaeyoung was passed out asleep and Daehyun was blinking slowly, slipping into unconsciousness little by little. He held onto Johnny's hand tightly.

“Goodnight papa,” he whispered. Johnny's eyes teared up just a little. He got on his knees and leaned over to kiss his son's closed eyelids, his cheeks, his nose, and his forehead. The child's grip on his hand loosened and soon fell. He pat his hair gently and moved on to his daughter, repeating the process before whispering, “goodnight princess.”

Kun waited for him outside the room. Johnny closed the door gently and padded his way from the room, Kun following him.

Once they were safe in the kitchen, Johnny loosened his tie and undid his cuffs, as well as popping two buttons of his shirt open.

“You really love them, don’t you?” Kun asked gently. Johnny smiled softly as he reached for an old bottle of wine. Kun reached for the glasses in one of the cabinets, cutely getting on the tips of his toes to reach. 

“Of course I do, they’re all I have,” Johnny stated simply. His kids were his everything, they were all that was left of his past wife. Johnny smiled bitterly as he popped the bottle open, pouring both of them a healthy amount of wine. They sat the dining table, enjoying each other’s presence and company, as they often have before. Kun was easy, familiar. It felt like all of life’s stresses could melt away if Kun was by him. 

It was hard being a father of two, a full time journalist, and Neo City’s favorite superhero, especially when he could hear everything. Middle aged women gossiping about his hero persona, doubting if he was good or not. Politicians and controversial editorial writers making arguments that if he so wanted, Superman could devastate the world population and he was a threat to national security. What hurt more than those were the little sighs of disillusionment Chaeyoung and Daehyun often released when their dear father had to stay longer at “work” or if he had to leave for a few minutes in the middle of playtime. He was trying his best to make everyone happy, but he soon learned that that was nearly impossible.

Kun seemed to sense that Johnny was getting a little too deep in thought and placed a soothing hand over his knee. As if Kun had thrown him a lifeline, Johnny grabbed and held onto it, snapping out of his toxic thoughts.

“What’s on your mind Johnny?” Kun inquired softly. Johnny was breathless before him. Kun’s eyes were tired but filled with genuine care and worry, his hair slightly mussed, and smile droopy. 

“It’s nothing much Kun, don’t fret,” he assured with a quick flash of a smile as well. Kun shook his head.

“It must be something big then.” Johnny laughed at his reply. Kun could read him like a book.

“I try my best. I really do. It’s just that sometimes it becomes too much. It feels like I’m neglecting my kids, that I’m stripping them away from a normal childhood. I work hard to make money to support them, but what good is financial support if I can’t be there for them emotionally?” It was like a damn, his emotions. Everything about Kun made him want to bare his heart’s scars. Kun gave his knee a squeeze.

“Johnny, stop putting the weight of the world on your shoulders.” Johnny wanted to laugh.  _ Oh how ironic _ … “You are a great father to Chaeyoungie and Dae. they couldn’t have had a more loving father, I swear. That’s what makes working with you so great. Seeing how much you love them is breathtaking,” Kun continued. Johnny’s heart may have skipped a beat of two. 

“I know, but I can’t help but feel insecure. I want them to be able to rely on me,” Johnny pressed. Kun laughed gently.

“If you knew how much they talk about you,” he answered vaguely before taking another sip of his wine. “Forget all that Superman-Batman crap, you’re always going to be their number one hero, as cheesy as that may sound.” Johnny sat shocked. His heroic counterpart a little wounded by the comment, but Johnny Seo himself was overwhelmed with a warm feeling. 

“Thank you Kun, I mean it.” Johnny sipped his wine, a little less bitterly than before. Kun hummed in acknowledgement. 

“There’s no need to thank the messenger.” Johnny chuckled.

“The messenger did a good job on delivering the message, I think he deserves a little credit for that,” Johnny retorted. Kun snorted and waved his hand in front of his face, dismissing it. 

“Whatever floats your boat.” 

And just like that, the wine tasted just a bit sweeter.

  
  


“Seo!” His name rang through his office, cutting through his train of thought. Johnny squinted up from the article he was writing and pushed the wire of his glasse further up his nose. Taeyong stood at the doorway, looking disheveled and panting. “Breaking news. Hostage situation. 15 people captured at 127th avenue’s bakery ‘Paradise’. I need coverage there stat,” Taeyong ordered. Johnny’s heart dropped to the floor. That was were Kun worked. 

“On it!” Johnny said shakily, getting up from his desk and bolting down to find his car. Oh screw it-

Johnny ripped open his dress shirt, taking flight. He flew as fast as he could to the aforementioned bakery, glasses and clothes discarded, hair pushed out of its gelled style. He stopped over the bakery where the hostage were being held. It obviously wasn’t a robbery, considering it was a bakery, so it must be some terrorist movement or some twisted villain with a sweet tooth. 

On top of the building stood a man with three henchmen and one hostage, tied and on their knees, gun pointed at their head. The man held the gun in one hand and a megaphone in another. Once he spotted Superman, the man moved his megaphone to his mouth.

“There he is! Man of the hour! Or should I say Superman of the hour?!” Johnny cringed at the bad joke.

“What do you want?” he boomed, floating down steadily, coming nearer and nearer. The henchmen pointed his guns at him. Simultaneously, he heard them being loaded. Ha! As if bullets could do anything to him. “There’s no need for violence,” he continued to reason.

“Oh but there is!” The man cackled. It was an ugly sound, ragged and breathy. “I want to kill you!” he declared. Ah, so he was a loony. Bravo.

“Oh do you?” Johnny raised an eyebrow, bemused. Hadn’t the guy done his research? Superman was invulnerable. The only thing that could potentially kill him was so unattainable that even that millionaire bastard Chittaphon couldn’t get his hands on sufficient amounts of it back in Gotham. 

“Please, enlighten me, how do you intend to do so?” Johnny continued to probe. The guy must’ve felt Johnny’s mocking tone because there was a click and the barrel of his gun was loaded with a new bullet. Johnny’s eyes shifted for a moment to said hostage and his heart stopped. Kun looked composed as ever, but the nervous look in his eyes betrayed him. Johnny halted in his floating.

“Don’t mock me you alien freak! I’ll shoot him!” The man screeched. But in the flash of a second, Johnny had punched him in the face, stolen his gun, rounded up the wannabe snipers and tied them all together with the rope he had undone from Kun’s body.

“Something tells me you won’t. And you’ll never shoot anybody for the rest of your life,” Johnny snarled before leaving him there for the police to find. 

There were likely other hostages in the bakery itself, so Johnny rushed down to take them out as efficiently as possible.

Trivial, really, these flimsy attempts on his life. Everyone in Neo City and further knew better than to try and stop Superman, but still some delusional criminals tried. 

Johnny shook those thoughts from his head as he rushed back to the rooftop where Kun still was, frozen in shock. Johnny picked him up gently and floated away from the scene around them. News reporters, policemen, and random passerbys had collected themselves around the building and that would be no good for the already startled Kun. Johnny only set him down when he had reached the corner of Cherry and Vision Street, merely two blocks away from where Johnny’s apartment was located. 

“Thank you,” Kun said breathlessly. Johnny nodded politely, taking a step away from the other’s curious eyes. 

“It’s my duty to protect the people of Neo City,” Johnny replied, attempting to take on another voice than that of Johnny Seo’s. Kun’s eyes flashed indecipherably  before returning to their shell shocked state. 

“I’d like to show my gratitude in some way. I made brown-” 

“There really is no need. Please take care of yourself.” It took everything in Johnny from saying Kun’s name, from revealing himself.

“You remind me of someone,” Kun admitted. Johnny’s eyes widened. Oh no… Eventually, Kun shrugged it off. He took a step towards Johnny and got onto his tip toes and kissed Johnny’s cheek sweetly. “You’re my hero,” he whispered before falling back onto his feet and walking away. Johnny stood dumbfounded. For a journalist, it was quite uncommon for him to be at a loss of words.

  
  


Johnny was surprised at how normally Kun had acted later that night. Apparently he told the kids about his meeting with Superman because when Johnny had stepped into the house, his kids bombarded him with questions. Johnny had answered sheepishly that he was the journalist on scene, but he hadn’t seen much. Both kids waddled away in dismay and Johnny squawked at the lack of kisses he’d received. 

“Brats, both of them,” he muttered under his breath as he took his jacket off. Kun chuckled lightly at him and welcomed him inside. 

He stayed for dinner, as he often did, but it was different this time. This time, Kun was rubbing their knees together under the table. Johnny raised and eyebrow at him and the shorter feigned innocence. 

When it was time to put the kids to bed, Kun had waited in the living room, lounging on one of Johnny’s couches until the father came back. 

“Are you ever going to tell them?” he piped up once Johnny had made his way back. Johnny flopped onto his old leather chair and gave Kun a questioning look, when in reality, his heartbeat was racing a mile a minute. 

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” Johnny played it off with a half forced nervous laugh that came out way too shaky to be nonchalant. Kun sat up on the couch and faced Johnny.

“I’m not stupid Johnny, and I’ve suspected it myself for a while anyways,” Kun pressed. Johnny shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 

“I’m really confused here Kun, I’m sorry, I don’t know.” He was lying through his teeth and he knew Kun knew. Kun sighed and shook his head.

“I won’t force it out of you, but if you want to ensure my confidentiality, you’re gonna have to do something.” It wasn’t like Kun to be demanding, this was new.

“Not that I know what I should want you to be confidential about, but if, hypothetically, I did, what would I have to do?” Johnny asked, stumbling over his words. Kun slid off of his seat on the couch and swaggered over to Johnny’s spot on the leather seat. He stopped right in front of him and crossed his arms. 

“Date.”

“Excuse me?” Johnny was baffled. Never in a million years would he have guessed that Kun wanted that from him. Perhaps he had heard wrong. Was his face hot? Oh my god was he blushing? Shit, shit, mayday. 

“You heard me. I’ve been dropping hints for over half a year Johnny Seo. Take me out on a date. That is, if you feel the same.” He trailed off shyly at the end, all of a sudden hitting him how poorly this could end. Wow confident gay Kun, you done did it. 

On the other hand, Johnny was in a rush to organize his thoughts. Date, date, Kun wanted a date. A date with him! Kun wanted to date him! For half a year! Hints? What hints? Was this real? Was he taking to long to reply, oh my god Johnny stop panicking!

“O-oh! Of course. Date. I’d love to. With you. Just you and me. Alone. On a date…” Kun laughed lightly at the mess of words Johnny kept fumbling about. He smiled down and Johnny. The elder smiled back up, face burning, but his insides were mush. 

In a total burst of confidence, Johnny pulled at Kun’s hand and tugged him into his lap. Kun straddled him and placed his hands on either side of Johnny’s face. Oh god they were so close, what was he doing? Kun was on his lap. Mission abor-

Kun was so close, their breaths fanned over each other’s faces and Kun dived down gently, pressing his lips innocently on Johnny’s. They lingered there for a moment or two before he pulled away. Johnny chased after his lips and they sat there, sharing a peck or two, nothing more than innocent, blooming affection.

“Ewwww,” Daehyun’s shrill voice wailed. Kun practically leaped off of Johnny just as much as Johnny basically shoved him off of him. “Papa’s kissing on the lips!” Came the scandalized follow up. Johnny grumbled and got off of the chair before striding over to Daehyun, who upon realizing that his father was going to attack, ran. He sprinted down the hallway, but his little legs were far too short.

“Papa’s kisses are ew to Daehyunnie? Huh?! Well here comes the kissy monster!” Johnny announced as he whisked Daehyun off his feet and pressing his lips anywhere he could reach; his belly, he face, his little arms. Daehyun tried to swat him away but Johnny kissed his hand too. 

Eventually, Chaeyoung woke up too and started crying because the loud noise was disturbing her plushies. Kun was doing his best to console her, closing the bedroom door and trying to sing to her.

It was nine pm in the Seo household. One of the children was screeching while the other was crying. A part time superhero did his best to pacify one while his love was trying to console the other. And in the midst of all the chaos going around, Johnny found peace in his life. 

**Author's Note:**

> catch me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/johnnys_strap)


End file.
